On Feb. 4, Pope Francis released his 2014 Lenten Message with the theme, “He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). In the message, Pope Francis stresses the need for real, meaningful penance and efforts to fight poverty, whether material, moral or spiritual.

“Let us not forget that real poverty hurts,” said Pope Francis. “No self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust charity that costs nothing and does not hurt.”

Watch this video from Rome Reports.

Looking for ways to embrace Pope Francis’ message? Visit our Lenten page, or read this story about generosity.